Water-conveyer.



No. 874,397. I PATENTED DEC. 24, 1907. J. 0. DOVE & G. WIRSING.

WATER GONVBYER.

. APPLICATION FILED MAR. 2. 1907.

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' A TTOR/VE VS UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE.

JOHN OLIVER DOVE, OF OOOLEDGE, AND OHARLEY WIRSING, OF FORT WORTH, TEXAS.

' WATER-CONVEYER.

Specification of Letters Patent. i

Patented Dec. 24, 1907'.

Ap licati n filed March 2, 1907- Serial No. 360.176.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, JOHN OLIVER DovE and OHARLEY WIRSING, citizens of the. United States, residing, respectively, at Oooledge and Fort orth, in the counties of Limestone and Tarrant and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful ater-Conveyer, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a water conveyer of that type in which buckets arranged on an endless belt are adapted to discharge upon a water wheel so that the rotation of the latter, due to the weight of the water discharged upon it, will contribute in assisting the motor or engine in driving the endless bucket carrying belt and associated parts.

The apparatus is especially designed for irrigation purposes, but it is to be understood that it may be used in other connections.

The invention has for one of its objects to improve and simplify the construction and operation of apparatus of this character so as to be comparatively easy and inexpensive to manufacture, readily controlled and highly e'l'l icient in operation.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a conveyer having means whereby the load on the bucket carrying belt can be gradually increased from minimum to maximum in the starting of the apparatus, so that the motor or engine is relieved of considerable extra work.

Another object of the invention is the employment of a number of wheels in series on which the water successively acts after leaving the buckets of the endless conveyer or belt, so that the motion of the wheels cooperates with the motor to drive the apparatus, thus requiring less power from the motor.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of an improved endless chain or belt conveyer to which the buckets are attached and an inclined chute in which the loaded buckets pass, the chute serving to relieve the endless chain or beltof-the weight of the buckets and their loads.

WVith these objects in view, and others, as

will appear as the nature of the invention is better understood, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction and arrangement of parts, which will be more fully described hereinafter and set forth with particularity in the claims appended hereto.

I clined chute, of the belt conveyer and one of the buckets thereon. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of one of the buckets.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated throughout by similar characters of reference.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates generally the supporting structure of the apparatus, the same consisting of a central der rick 2, a main wheel supporting derrick 3, a secondary wheel supporting derrick 4, and derricks 5 for the endless belt conveyer chute 6. Mounted on the derrick 2 is an electric, or other suitable motor, 7 and on the derricks 3 and 4, respectively, are the main and secondary water wheels 8 and 9. Suitably arranged on the supporting structure 1 are inclined chutes or conduits 10 and 11 in which the wheels 8 and 9, respectively, rotate at their lower peripheral portions, the chute 10 being more inclined to the horizontal than the chute 11. The motor 7 is provided with a pinion 12 that meshes with a large gear wheel 13 on the shaft 14. The shaft 14 is connected with the wheel 8 by a sprocket chain transmission 15 and the wheels 8 and 9 are connected by a second sprocket and chain transmission 16, so that the wheels and motor rotate synchronously.

Supported on the structure 1 above the shaft 14 is a shaft 17 having sprocket wheels 18 adjacent to opposite ends, one of such wheels being shown in the present instance. The shafts 14 and 17 are connected by meshing gear wheels 19 and 20. Around the sprocket wheels 18 pass endless sprocket chains 21 of the bucket conveyer. The chains 21 pass around sprocket. wheels 22 rotatably mounted on a swinging frame 23 disposed at one end of the supporting structure 1. Arranged at suitable intervals along the chains 21 are pivotally mounted buckets 24 by which the material to be transported is gathered up and carried along the upwardly j inclined chute 6 and deposited on the main wheel 8.

The swinging frame 23 that supports the lower end of the endless conveyer is journaled at 25 on a suitable structure 26 that is arranged adjacent the body of water or other material to be taken up by the buckets. The frame 23 is provided with a l down the chutes 10 and 11 lever 27 having a suitable weight 28 to counterbalance the frame 23 and attached parts, and the lever 27 moves tor 29 to which it is locked in any desired adjusted position by a latch device 30. By means of this swinging frame, the lower end of the endless bucket carrying conveyer can be raised out of the water when the apparatus is to be set in motion by the motor. After the moving parts have acquired a certain momentum, the frame ..3 can be slightly lowered so that each bucket will take up a small quantity of water and deposit it against the wheel 8 whereby the latter is accelerated and contributes its share in driving the machinery. The frame 23 can thus be gradually lowered step by step until the buckets are taking up their full quota.

Approximately the entire upper half of the endless bucket conveyer runs on the inclined chute 6. This chute, as shown in Fig. 2, is provided with a bottom 31 on which the uckets 24 run. To diminish the friction, the buckets are each provided with a roller 32 having ball bearings 33, and the parts are so proportioned that the weight of each bucket is sustained by its respective roller 32, as shown in Fi s. 2 and 3. The buckets are formed with covers 34 that partially close the same so that the contents will not posispill out as the buckets take the inclined tion shown in Fig. 1 while from the body of water 35 to the first wheel 8. The sides of the buckets are provided with pivots 36 which connect with the chains 21, and these chains run in ways 37 provided in the sides 37 of the chute 6. It will thus be seen that the chute aids materially in relieving the chains of the weight of the buckets when. filled. At the lower end of the chute 6 and mounted 011 the derrick 5 is a sprocket wheel 38 for each chain of the bucket conveyer, to assist in preventing sagging of the chains between the wheels 22 and 38. The sprocket wheel 38 also supports the chain and takes a great part of the strain from the wheel 22 and by keeping it above the chute when the direct line of the chain is broken as the wheel 22 is raised and. lowered, the chain is prevented from bearing on the end of the chute and wearing it. Another function performed by the sprocket wheels 22 is to steady and bring the buckets 24 to a proper position to enter the chute, as they have a swinging motion from the time they emerge from the water. The inclined bucket conveyer or elevator is preferably located in the same plane with the wheels 8 and 9, and the buckets discharge directly upon the blades or vanes of the wheel 8. The water or material thus discharged on the wheel causes the same to rotate, and, after acting on the wheel, the water or material passes assin u wardl and operates on the wheel 9, thence passing to the point of final deposit.

along a toothed sec- 1 From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the advantages of the construction and of the method of operation will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains. Briefly describing the operation, the attendant first depresses the lever 27 and locks the same by means of the latch device 30 in such a position that the buckets at the lower end of the bucket conveyer or elevator are out of the water. The circuit of the motor 7 is then closed so that the motor will start up and drive the bucket'elevator and water wheels. Since the buckets are elevated out of the water, the load on the motor is materially decreased, and after the parts have gotten up to a suilicient speed, the lever 27 is slightly raised so that the buckets will be only partially filled as they pass through the water. As the partially filled buckets reach the upper end of the inclined chute 6, they deposit their contents upon the wheel 8 and thereby give an impetus to the latter, and, after acting on the wheel 8, the water passes to the wheel 9 and assists in rotating it. Thus the wheels 8 and 9 contribute materially in running the apparatus. The operator then lowers the frame 23 another step so that the buckets will take up a larger quantity of water or other material, and this is repeated until finally the buckets take up their full amount. By thus gradually taking up the load, a much smaller motor is required than ii? the maximum load was thrown on the apparatus atonce, and, since the water or other material that passes down the chutes 10 and 11 can be utilized for driving the wheels 8 and 9, comparatively little power is required for the motor 7.

I have described the principle of operation ol the invent-ion, together with the apparatus which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown 1s merely illustrative, and that various changes may 1 be made, when desired, as are within the scope of the claims.

That is claimed is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an endless conveyor, a motor for driving the same, and means .lor loading the conveyer gradually.

2. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an endless conveyer, a motor for driving the same, and means for adjusting the conveyer at its loading end for varying the quantity of material taken up thereby.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an endless conveyer havveyer, and a power transmission connection I and wheels, and means for throwing the coning a plurality of receptacles, a motor for driving the conveyer, an adjustable means for supporting one end of the conveyer, and a locking device for holding the said means in adjusted position.

4:. In an apparatus of the class described the combination of an endless conveyer, and l a wheel independent of and outside the line of travel of said conveyer .on which the conveyer buckets directly discharge,

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a conveyer, a wheel, a motor, power transmission means between the motor and conveyer wheel, and means for adjusting the conveyer for gradually loading the same in starting the apparatus.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an endless conveyer, a plurality of wheels on which the material discharged by the conveyer successively acts a power transmission connection between the wheels, a motor geared to the conbetween the motor and one of the wheels.

7. In an apparatusof the class described, the combination of an endless conveyer, a' plurality of wheels connected together to run in unison and arranged to be acted on successively by the material discharged from the conveyer, a motor geared to the conveyer veyer in inoperative position in starting the apparatus and gradually bringing it to its full operative position.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of an endless conveyer, a plurality of wheels connected together to run in unison and arranged in a common plane with the conveyer and acted on successively by the material discharged from the conveyer, chutes for the wheels, means for connecting the wheels with the conveyer to assist in operating the latter, a motor arranged to drive the conveyer and wheels, and means for gradually loading the conveyer.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination of a su porting structure, a chute thereon, an end ess conveyer running through the chute, roller carrying buckets arranged on the conveyer to run on the floor of the chute, and an adjustable means at the lower end of the chute for throwing ,the conveyer into an operative or inoperative position.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own, we have hereto affixed our signatures in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN OLIVER DOVE. OHARLEY WIRSING. Witnesses:

R. N. JMAGATHAN, C. C. WALKER. 

